Cutting Plastic by 98% for KREEF with custom gourmet food packaging

KREEF, the gourmet brand from Embutidos de El Salvador, offers premium local and imported meats, sausages, and cheeses in upscale platters, available online and in stores. Their packaging couldn't handle grease, weight, or refrigeration. To compensate, they added wax paper, cardboard, and polystyrene trays— raising costs and impacting recyclability. Smurfit Westrock Folding El Salvador aimed to cut excess packaging, reduce plastic and improve protection.

The design team replaced KREEF’s packaging with laminated Optima board, which offers moderate resistance to moisture and grease, strong structural rigidity and a quality print surface. The new high-strength board supports the product’s weight without warping, prevents grease transfer and maintains print quality on the kraft side without compromising barrier properties.

The approach led to a fully customized solution. Using our SupplySmart model, we redesigned the packaging—eliminating unnecessary reinforcements, optimizing materials and creating a single-piece design. The result: a 68% faster assembly time and significantly lower production costs. In line with our Better Planet Packaging vision, we helped reduce plastic by 98%, transforming the packaging into a strong reflection of KREEF's sustainability goals and brand identity.